Minister defends dress sense

IT’S only a dress, but it is the talk of Romania.

Controversial Tourism Minister Elena Udrea has sparked outrage with her star-printed Dolce & Gabbana number, a frock she admits costs three times what many Romanians make in a month. She defended the dress, insisting it cost less than the thousands of euro that the media had reported.

She told B1 TV that clothes are one of her few joys in life, and the dress was a gift from her businessman husband that cost €900.

Journalists accused Udrea of being insensitive during the economic downturn in Romania, where the average national salary is €320 per month.

Udrea is the most prominent minister in the government and President Traian Basescu’s closest ally. She accused Romanian journalists of misogyny, arguing that male politicians who wear equally expensive clothes do not get the same the scrutiny.